Structure of Variable Oil Pump

ABSTRACT

A variable oil pump includes an inlet connected to supply oil into the housing of the variable oil pump an arc-shaped intake space formed in the housing to be connected to a pumping space between veins mounted on a rotor in the variable oil pump; and a buffer space having a large cross-sectional area than inlet and connected with inlet and intake space, such that it is possible to reduce pulse noise generated in the variable oil pump by reducing intake resistance and vortex which are generated in sucking oil at the intake side of the variable oil pump.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application Number 10-2010-0094806 filed Sep. 29, 2010, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a variable oil pump, and more particularly, to a structure of a channel through which oil flows into a variable oil pump which improves fuel efficiency of an engine of a vehicle by adjusting the discharged flow rate in accordance with changes in number of revolution of the engine and preventing unnecessary energy waste while pumping up the oil by using power provided from the engine.

2. Description of Related Art

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the outer shape and the internal structure of a variable oil pump of the related art, which includes a driving gear 500 receiving power from an engine, a rotor 504 rotating by means of torque from driving gear 500 and having a plurality of veins 502, an outer ring 508 covering the outsides of veins 502 and rotating about a pivot pin 506 fixed to a housing to change the volume of a pumping space 520 formed between veins 502 while changing the eccentric position from the rotational center of rotor 504, and a spring 510 elastically supporting outer ring 508.

An inlet 512 for sucking oil is connected to the side where spring 510 is disposed and an outlet 514 for discharging the oil is connected to the opposite side.

In the variable oil pump, outer ring 508 reduces the volume of pumping space 520 while rotating about pivot pin 506 and the driving torque rotating driving gear 500 increases, when the pressure at outlet 514 increases larger than the pressure of spring 510.

FIG. 3 is a view of a cover 516 forming the housing for the variable oil pump of the related art, seen from the inside of the variable oil pump and FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view showing the space through which oil passes, in the variable oil pump of the related art. As can bee seen from the figures, inlet 512 is connected into the variable oil pump with a cylindrical passageway and an arc-shaped intake space 518 is formed at the intake side in the variable oil pump, such that oil can be supplied between veins 502 by rotation of rotor 504. Further, an arc-shaped outlet space 522 is also connected with cylindrical outlet 514 at the outlet side, such that the oil discharged out of pumping space 520 formed between veins 502 can pass.

In this configuration, describing in detail the structure where intake space 518 and inlet 512 are connected in the variable oil pump, it can be seen that only a portion of the front end of cylindrical inlet 512 is connected to arc-shaped intake space 518.

However, as described above, inlet 512 and intake space 518 are connected at a relatively small portion, such as a neck, and intake space 518 is connected to a side of inlet 512, such that the intake resistance of the sucked oil increases and a vortex is generated, and the intake resistance and vortex are main factors causing veins 502 of rotor 504 to make pulse noise in rotating.

The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a structure of a variable oil pump that can reduce pulse noise generated in the variable oil pump by reducing intake resistance and vortex generated when sucking oil at the intake side of the variable oil pump.

Various aspects of the present invention provide for a structure of a variable oil pump, which includes an inlet connected to supply oil into a housing of the variable oil pump, an intake space formed in the housing to be connected to a pumping space between veins mounted on a rotor in the variable oil pump, and a buffer space having a large cross-sectional area than the inlet and connected with the inlet and the intake space.

Since a buffer space may be formed at the intake side in a variable oil pump, it is possible to reduce pulse noise generated in the variable oil pump by reducing intake resistance and vortex which are generated in sucking oil.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description of the Invention, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing the outer shape of a variable oil pump of the related art.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the internal structure of the variable oil pump of the related art.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the structure of a cover of the variable oil pump of the related art.

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view showing a space through which oil flows into the variable oil pump of the related art.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the structure of a cover of an exemplary variable oil pump according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional view showing a space through which oil flows into the exemplary variable oil pump according to the present invention.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a variable oil pump according to various embodiments of the present invention may include an inlet 1 connected to supply oil into the housing of the variable oil pump an arc-shaped intake space 5 formed in the housing to be connected to a pumping space between veins 3 mounted on a rotor in the variable oil pump, and a buffer space 7 having a large cross-sectional area than inlet 1 and connected with inlet 1 and intake space 5.

That is, since buffer space 7 formed between inlet 1 and intake space 5 has considerably large volume than the related art, it is possible to minimize intake resistance and vortex which are generated in sucking oil and accordingly it is possible to reduce pulse noise generated by veins 3 of the rotor by the intake resistance and vortex.

Buffer space 7 is a space where a spring elastically supporting an outer ring that makes a variable pumping space together with veins 3 while changing the eccentric position from the rotor.

That is, by connecting the space where a spring is disposed in the related art to inlet 1, the cross-sectional area of inlet 1 increases at the joint with buffer space 7 and arc-shaped intake space 5 is connected through buffer space 7, such that the intake resistance is significantly reduced and the vortex is minimized.

Inlet 1 is connected to the inside of the housing with a cylindrical passageway, intake space 5 is arranged in an arc shape when seen in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical passageway of inlet 1, such that inlet 1 is connected to intake space 5 at the outside of the arc shape formed by intake space 5.

According to various embodiments, as can be seen from FIG. 6, arc-shaped intake space is provided above and under the rotor and buffer space 7 is connected to both of upper and lower intake space 5.

In various aspects, the housing of the variable oil pump is similar to the related art, composed of a body disposed above the rotor and a cover 9 disposed under the rotor, where the body is deep such that the vertical height of the rotor can be covered, cover 9 is combined with the body such that the inner side of the variable oil pump is made flat, and lower intake space 5 and inlet 1 are formed at cover 9.

In this configuration, cover 9 has an enlarged depression 11 connected with lower intake space 5 and inlet 1, as shown in FIG. 5, thereby forming a portion of buffer space 7.

That is, enlarged depression 11 includes the entire cylindrical cross-section of inlet 1 and formed in cover 9 in a shape corresponding to the space formed in the body to dispose the spring such that the space formed to mount the spring in the body is connected with inlet 1 and intake space 5, thereby forming buffer space 7.

For reference, the structures of the body and the rotor are little different from those shown in FIG. 2 and they are not shown.

As described above, in the variable oil pump having buffer space 7, the resistance against the flow of intake oil is relatively small, such that the intake resistance is reduced and the vortex is remarkably reduced.

Therefore, it is possible to considerably reduce pulse noise that veins 3 generate by the intake resistance and the vortex which are generated in sucking oil in the related art.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description.

They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

1. A structure of a variable oil pump, comprising: an inlet for supplying oil into a housing of the variable oil pump; an intake space formed in the housing for connection to a pumping space between veins mounted on a rotor in the variable oil pump; and a buffer space having a cross-sectional area larger than a cross-sectional area of the inlet and fluidly connected with the inlet and the intake space.
 2. The structure of a variable oil pump as defined in claim 1, wherein the intake space has an arc shape, and the buffer space houses a spring elastically supporting an outer ring that varies the pumping space together with the veins while changing a eccentric position with respect to the rotor.
 3. The structure of a variable oil pump as defined in claim 2, wherein the inlet is fluidly connected to an inside of the housing by a cylindrical passageway, the intake space has an arc shape in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical passageway of the inlet, and the inlet is connected to the intake space at an outside portion of the arc shape formed by the intake space.
 4. The structure of a variable oil pump as defined in claim 3, wherein the arc-shape intake space is disposed both above and under the rotor, and the buffer space is connected to both of the upper and lower intake spaces.
 5. The structure of a variable oil pump as defined in claim 1, wherein the housing of the variable oil pump is composed of a body disposed above the rotor and a cover disposed under the rotor, the a depth of the body allows the vertical height of the rotor can be covered, the cover is combined with the body such that the inner side of the variable oil pump is made flat, the lower intake space and the inlet are formed at the cover, and the cover has an enlarged depression to make a portion of the buffer space by being connected with the lower intake space and the inlet.
 6. The structure of a variable oil pump as defined in claim 5, wherein the enlarged depression includes the entire cylindrical cross-section of the inlet and has a shape corresponding to the space formed in the body to dispose the spring. 